Combination latch and vent arm for screens and storm sash



April 1957 H. L. MAJESKE ET AL 2,790,662

COMBINATION- LATCH AND VENT ARM FOR SCREENS AND STORM SASH 2 Sheets-Sheet l JOHN S. flLEX Filed March 11, 1955 April 30, 1957 H. MAJESKE ET AL 2,790,662

,COMBINATION LATCH AND VENT ARM FOR SCREENS AND STORM SASH Filed March 11, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MWH" INVENTORS A RNEY United States Patent COMBINATION LATCH AND VENT ARM FOR SCREENS AND STORM SASH Henry L. Majeske, Coral Gables, and John S. Alexander,

Homestead, Fla., assignors to American Screen Products Company, Miami, Fla., a corporation of Florida Application March 11, 1955, Serial No. 493,646

4 Claims. (Cl. 292-68) Our present invention relates to a lock and vent installation for screen and storm sash for windows.

Our present device has particular utility for use on top-hung screens and storm sash applied to double hung wooden windows, although the device may be used also on metal windows.

An object of the invention is to provide a positive latch for both screen and storm sash in closed position.

Another object is to provide a vent arm for storm sash, which also locks the latch in venting position.

Still another object is to provide a compound device adapted to either vent latch a storm sash or to closure latch the sash in a completely closed position in cooperation with a vent latch keeper and a closure latch keeper carried by the storm sash.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description which follows, taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein two mountings of the latch structure embodying our invention are illustrated.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a transverse cross section view taken through the left side of a wooden window jamb, blind stop and metal screen sash, with a top elevation view of our novel vent and latch device in closed latched position;

Fig. 2 is a view identical to Figure 1 with a storm window sash substituted for the screen sash taken at the right side of a wooden window jamb;

Figure 3 is a pulled apart view of our novel vent and latch arm in perspective, together with the mounting clips and latching clips therefor and with 'a center bracket device to be used in certain specific mounting arrangements together with the respective left and right side mountings of Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a section view taken longitudinally through a storm sash mounted adjacent our novel vent and latch device, and illustrating the venting position of the device in dotted lines;

Figure 5 is a front elevational view illustrating our novel vent and latch device operatively mounted on the center bracket member as distinguished from the wooden side jamb mountings disclosed in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 6 is a transverse section on the section line 66 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, there are illustrated two specific mountings and arrangements of the invention each with a window jamb A, a blind stop B and a screen or storm sash C or D as shown in Figures 1 and 2, respectively, and the usual window sill S with the center bracket mountings, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The respective side right and left blind stops B shown in Figures 1 and 2 each mount a thrust clip 4 with an opening for a screw fastener 5. The clip is formed with a straight edge 6 flush with the front edge of each blind stop B and with mounting means, such as ears 7, 8 and 9 at the opposite edge of the clip. The middle ear 8 2,790,662 Patented Apr. 30, 1951 2 is bent reversely at right angles with respect to each'of the end ears 7 and 9, so that the ears 7 and 9 may penetrate or staple into the blind stop material and the middle ear 8 abuts and serves as a guide to vertically align and guide the window adjacent side edge of a latch bolt E, hereinafter described in detail. This bolt E is I slotted longitudinally and is slidable and pivotable on the fastener 5, see Figure 3 for the specific details of the bolt E.

Secured to the corner of the lower frame section of the screen sash C or the storm sash D is a latch clip 10 secured to the frame section by a screw or bolt 11, see Figure 3 for a detailed disclosure of the clip structure. This clip is formed from-sheet metal and comprises a base strip 12 with a central aperture 13 for bolt 11, an offset right angled section 14 and a pair of spaced apart hooks or arms 15 and 16, respectively, one of each being formed from each end of the strip and connected to the right angled offset section 14. Each hook or arm 15 is shaped, proportioned and positioned for its own respective use in co-operation with the above referred to novel L-shaped latch-bolt E. This bolt has a head 18 and a leg 19 formed with a web or plate 20 bent at substantially right angles to the leg 19 and extending laterally below the latch head 18. The head 18 and the web or plate 20 of each bolt E co-act with the arm 15 of each clip 10,to provide a positive closure latch or a positive vent latch, according to the position of the latch E.

In order to operatively co-act with the latch plate 20, the arm 15 is made relatively longer than the arm 16, which arm 16 may serve as a handle element. The arm 15 has a base portion 21, which is formed with an offin the closed position of the storm sash or to promote the latching action of the head 18 in the vent latching position. Each handle arm 16 is much shorter than the respective companion arm 15 and is formed intoan offset handle portion 25 for manually gripping the same to swing the sash when the bolt E is swung into its latched vent position.

The latch clip 10 and latch bolt E are of the same construction in each arrangement herein disclosed, but the latch may be center mounted differently in the case of laterally spaced and adjacent windows as disclosed in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6, by direct attachment of the thrust clip 4 to each respective leg 27 and 28 of a center U- shaped bracket 26. A detailed reference to Figure 3 I will therefore suffice to describe the respective parts of the device regardless of whether the same are mounted at one corner of a wood Window jamb A, as in Figures 1 and 2, or whether they are mounted on the central U- shaped bracket 26, as in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6.

The latch bolt E as previously explained includes the head 18 and the latch plate 20. Preferably the latch bolt E is formed from a flat strip of metal in the form of an inverted L-shaped element. The leg 19 of the latch is formed with an elongated slot 27 extending longitudinally from near the rounded free end 28 thereof to a position adjacent the lower straight edge 29 of the locking web or plate 20. This slot serves to permit sliding movement of the bolt E under the head of the thrust clip fastener 5, as in Figures 1 and 2. If the U-shaped bracket 26 is used, a speed nut 31 serves to secure the bolt E to the respective legs 27 and 28 of bracket 26 through openings 33 and 34 formed adjacent each end of each of said legs and the thrust clip 4 and screw fastener 5 are of substantially the same construction as in Figures 1 and 2.

The general use and mounting arrangements of the vent and closure latch device are believed to be apparent from the foregoing description. However, briefly the arrangement of Figures 1 and 2 disclose the thrust clip 4 and the latch bolt E mounted directly to the respective left and right sides of the wooden material of the blind stop B by stapling ears '7 and 9, so that the head of fastener 5 slidably retains the leg 19 of the slotted bolt E in position together with the guiding or aligning ear 8. The head 18 may be used as an operating handle to raise and lower the bolt E, so that the latch plate 20 may be inserted behind the keeper arm 15 for a positive locking of the storm or screen sash to closed position.

The keeper clip or latch clip as explained is fastened to the lower frame section of the sash. Now when it is desired to convert the position closure latch into a latch vent arm, the head 18 is raised, until the latch plate 20 retracts from behind the latch plate keeper arm 15, and until the rounded end of the slot 27 abuts the shank of the fastener 5. Then the storm sash is pushed outwardly by the left and right handles 16 and the bolt head 18 is pushed outwardly toward the keeper arm and caused to pivot and swing downwardly into vent latching position behind the vent latch arm 15, as shown in Figure 4.

When a vent and latch bolt E is to be mounted on each leg of the U-shaped center bracket 26, the adjacent sash frames are sealed at their adjacent vertically spaced sides by means of a weather strip 35, see Fig. 6. This strip may be clamped to one of the frame side sections as shown at 36 and folded reversely so as to lap over an adjacent sash frame section at 37. Obviously if the Windows are not adjacently spaced and are separate units, then the right and left side mountings are each secured directly to the wooden blind stops B as in Figures 1 or 2.

Thus, there is provided a novel vent latch and closure latch combination for screen or storm sash members, which will function by reciprocable sliding action to positively lock the screen or storm sash in closed position or by sliding and swinging action will positively lock the screen or storm sash to a partially open position for venting the storm sash or for permitting a mop or dust rag to be shaken out of the screen enclosure if desired.

Without further description, it is thought that the advantages of the present invention will be apparent and while only two mounting arrangements for the device are illustrated, it is to be expressly understood that the description is not limited thereto as various changes may be made in the combinations and arrangements of the parts illustrated, as will now probably appear to others and those skilled in the art. Fora definition of the scope and limits of the invention, reference should be had to the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A storm sash vent and closure latch means comprising an inverted L-shaped body formed with a longitudinal fastener guide slot from the end of one leg thereof, a latch plate extending at right angles from the slotted leg above the slot, and a latchhead formed from said other leg, and fastener means extending through said guide slot permi ting said bolt to slide the length of said slot to move said latch plate to latching or unlatching positions and to pivot on said fastener means to move said latch head to latching or unlatching positions with suitable means mounted on said storm sash, said fastener means including a thrust clip having a straight edge for flush mounting with the front edge of a blind stop, and an opposite edge formed with staple means for mounting the same in the stop material and a guide means for cooperatively guiding the .said slotted leg during the sliding movement of the latch body to closure latching position.

2. A storm sash vent and closure latch means comprising an inverted L-shaped body formed with a longitudinal fastener guide slot from the end of one leg thereof, a latch plate extending at rightangles from the slotted leg above the slot, and a latch head formed from said other leg, and fastener means extending through said guide slot permitting said bolt to slide the length of said slot to move said latch plate to latching or unlatching positions and to pivot on said fastener means to move said latch head to latching or unlatching positions with suitable means mounted on said storm sash, said fastener means including a thrust clip mounted on a leg of a bracket between adjacent windows, said clip having a straight aligning edge and an opposite edge formed with securing ears and a guide ear for cooperatively guiding the said slotted leg during the sliding movement of the latch body to closure latching position.

3. In combination, a keeper means and a storm sash vent and closure bolt adapted for sliding or swinging action comprising an inverted L-shaped body provided with a longitudinal fastener guide slot adjacent the end of one leg thereof, a latch plate extending at right angles from the slotted leg above .the slot, and the other leg of said body constituting a latch head, fastener means extending through said guide slot permitting said bolt to slide a distance the length of said slot tomove said latch plate to latching or unlatching positions and to pivot on said. fastener means to move said latch head to latching or unlatching positions, said keeper means being mounted on "the said sash adapted to engage with said latch plate at lock the sash closed or to engage with said latch head to lock the .sash open, said keeper means comprising a sheet metal clip having an offset arm extending from a base portion provided with a fastener opening, and said base portion being secured to said sash by a fastener in the opening.

4. The storm sash vent and closure means according to claim 3, wherein said base portion is also provided with a spaced offset handle adjacent said offset arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS {1,356,569 Larsen May 3, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 41,560 Netherlands Sept. 15, 1937 

